Gauging machine



' Dec. 5, 1944. I BlRDSALL 2,364,187

GAUGING MACHINE- Filed Oct. 24, 1942 INVENTOR EDWIN H, BIRDSALL' ATTORNEYS 7 Patented Dec. 5, 1944 GAUGIN G MACHINE V Edwin H. Birdsall, Golden, Colo., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn.,

a corporation of Delaware Application October 24, 1942, Serial No. 463,257

claims. (01.209-108) The present invention relates to a gauge device, especially for gauging the length of articles by separating articles having a length in excess of a predetermined maximum length from. those within such maximum length. It is an object of the invention to provide a device of this character which is extremely sensitive, so that the separation of articles having. a very smallvariation may be accomplished, and which may be automatically operated continuously at relatively high speed. i The device is especially adapted for the gauging ofthe length of bullet components,

as for instance a bullet jacket or a bullet slug, and wherein the gun fitting and ballistic requirements of such articles necessitate extremely accurate measurement. q

It is particularly proposed to provide a device in which there are provided a pair of rotating disc members disposed in opposed predetermined spaced parallel relation to each other, and between Which the articles are individually passed by a suitable feed carrier, one of such disc members being outwardly yieldable with respect to the other, whereby overlength articles will be gripped between such disc members tobe separated thereby from proper length articles which will pass freely between the discs.

spending parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing. L Referring to the drawing, the gauging device,

according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a rotating feed carrierelement 10 mounted upon a horizontal shaft l I, and having a cylindrical periphery provided with a series of equally spaced transverse divergent walled pockets I2 for individually receiving the articles A, illustrated as bullet jackets, from afeeding hopper or chute l3 disposed in cooperative relation to the upper side of the peripheral surface of the feed carrier at one side of. the central vertical plane of the-carrier.

Although the feed carrier shown and described is characterized by rotary movement, it will be understood that the invention is not limitedto 1 the specific manner in which the articles are fed it to the gauging element hereinafter described;

3 more as a. matter of convenience than necessity, l

in fact, the rotating feed means has been chosen and, obviously, inmany cases, itmight be advisable. to provide a feed carrier having substanof the carrier, the latter moves between the gang- With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out inthe claims. I

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gauge device according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, and showing the passage therethrough of bullet components of predetermined proper length.

component as it is carried from the feed carrier to the extractor chute being shown in dot-anddash lines.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the gauging disc element showing its operative position with an excessive length component gripped and carried thereby, the feed carrier element being removed forthe sake of clearness.

Similar reference characters indicate correing element of the device, this gauging element comprising a circular gauging disc member I4 rigidly mounted upon a horizontal shaft I 5 and provided at its inner side with a flatvertically disposed surface against which-is engaged the inner fiat end of a cylindrical gauge means 16, having an axial shaft engaging passage I! therethrough, its outer flat end l8 being connected to its cylindrical periphery .by an annular rounded "corner IS. The length of thecylindrical gauge orspacer block I6, is, of course, the determinate of a particular maximum size of article to be gauged at any one time by the gauging element,

and hence an important aspect of the invention.

is to provide means whereby a ready interchange of spacers IE of diiierent predetermined maximumgauge lengths may be made so that the gauging element may handle articles of different maximum length with dispatch and without a1- teration in the remainder of the machine.

. Accordingly,. the spacer block I6 is freely mounted on the shaft [5, being held in operative position thereon between the disc member l4 and i .a second disc member 20 which is carried on the spacer block l6 and the substitution therefor of a spaced block of different predetermined maxiloosely engaged upon the shaft to permit of relative tilting movement of the disc 20, as will presently more fully appear. The inner periph-' eral edge surfaces of the disc members are diveri gently curved, as at M and 2m, to provide a convergent entrance for the articles to move without obstruction between the parallel inner l surfaces.

The shaft l5 projects outwardly from the disc and is provided with a helical spring 22, engaged between the surface of the disc 20 and a retaining washer 23 and nut 24 adjustably engaged upon the thre'aded'end portion 25 of the shaft, this spring yieldably pressing the'disc 20 against the" end of the gauging cylinder I6 in predetermined spaced parallel relation to the opposed gauging disc M. In choosing the length of the gauging cylinder I6 to be used in any particular case, account is taken'of the maximum length of the component articles to be gauged, so that articles'which do not exceed this maximum length will be carried between the spaced discs l4 and 20 by the feed carrierilfl without causing the disc 20 to deflect,while an article of excessive length will deflect the disc 29 against the pressure of the spring 22, whereupon such article is gripped between the discs I4 and 2-0. The spring pressure upon the disc 20 may be varied as desired by adjustment of the nut 24.

The feed carrier element and the gauging disc element are for the purposes of this disclosure ro-' tated in opposite directions and in timed relation by any suitable drive means, so that the surface speed of the feed carrier in counter-clockwise direction along the circumferential path of the article carrying pockets [2, as indicated by the arrow, corresponds to the surface speed of the circumferential area of the gauging disc element co-.

incidingwith the circumferential path of the pockets [2, the gauging disc element being rotated in clockwise direction, as indicated by the path of movement of the gauging disc element as s the pocket swings downwardly along its circumferential path.

At the side of the feed carrier element and beneath the gauging disc element there is provided a retainer plate or wall 26 having its upper por..- tion concentric tothe periphery of the feed carrier element and extended beneath the periphery of the gauging disc element, articles of proper length which pass freely between the gauging discs being carried by the pockets l2 from between the disc members along the wall member 25 and dropping by gravity from the pocket as the latter moves below the horizontal central plane, these'proper length articles dropping into a suitable receptacle. In spaced relation to .the wall member 26 there is provided a guide wall 21 having its upper end curved inwardly and extended between the disc members l4 and 20 substantially horizontally and constituting a deflecting extractor portion 28 arranged substantially tangentively to the gauging cylinder l6 and adapted to engage the articles gripped between the disc members and guide them toward the periphery of the disc members as the gauging disc element is rotated, these articles moving from between the disc and being deflected downwardly in the extractor chute passage between the walls 26 and 21 to a suitable receptacle. As the article is released thev disc member 20 resumes its'normal parallel position,

"so that it is in position to gauge the successive trative. only, and it is evident that the invention is cap-able of embodiments in other forms, all falling within the scope of the appended claims, which are to be broadly construed.

What I claim is:

1. In a length gauge device, rotatable gauge means comprising a pair of spaced disc members having opposed parallel substantially rigid surfaces forming a passage for gauging the length.

of articles passed between said surfaces, at least one of said disc members being outwardly yieldable with respect to the other disc member 7 through the engagement between said disc members of an overlength article, whereby such overlength article is gripped between said disc members, and a rotatable article feed carrier element rotatable in the opposite direction of rotation from said gauge means and having a plurality of spaced transversely extending open ended divergent walled article receiving pockets arranged to have passage between said disc member tosuccessively feed articles between said disc members.

2. Ina length gauge device, rotatable gauge means comprising a pair of spaced disc members having opposed parallel substantially rigid surfaces forming a passage for gauging the length-of articles passed between said surfaces, at least one of said disc members being outwardly yieldable with respect to the other disc member through the engagement between said disc members of an overlength article, whereby such overlength. article is positively gripped between said disc members and carried therewith, a rotatable article feed carrier element rotatable in the opposite direction of rotation from said gauge means and having peripheral article receiving means arranged to have passage between said discmembers to successively feed articles between said disc members, extractor means engaged between said disc members disposed at an outward angle in the rotary path of an article gripped between said disc members whereby such article is removed therefrom, and discharge means for guiding articles remaining in said feed carrier.

3. In a length gauge device, gauge means comprising a shaft, a spacer member on said shaft, a pair of disc side members respectively at each side of said spacer member having opposed parallel substantially rigid surfaces forming a passage for gauging the length of articles passed between said surfaces, at least one of said side members being outwardly tiltable with respect to said :spacer .member and other disc side member through the engagement between said side members of an overlength article, and spring means surrounding said shaft arranged to press said movable side member yieldably toward said spacer memother side member, whereby such overlength article is gripped between said side members, and means to remove a gripped article from said discs and separate the same from articles of lesser length.

4. In a length gauge device, rotatable gauge ber into a position substantially parallel with said the engagement between said disc members of ment between saidside members of an overlength articlaspring means surrounding said shaft arranged to pres said movable side member yieldably toward said spacer member, whereby an over- 20 length article is gripped between said side members, a rotatable article feed carrier element roat an outward angle in the rotary path of an article gripped between said disc members, whereby an article is removed therefrom, and guide means having a surface for guidin'articles not gripped by said discs.

5. In a length gauge device, rotatable gauge means comprising a pair of spaced substantially rigid disc members having opposed parallel surfaces forminga passage for gauging the length of articles passed between said surfaces, at least 'one of said dics members being outwardly tiltable with respect to the other disc member through an overlength article, spring means urging said movable disc member so that it i substantially normally parallel to said other disc member, a carrier for moving articles between said disc members, wherebysuch overlength article is gripped between said disc members, extractor means engaged between said disc members disposed at an outward angle in the rotary path of an article gripped between said disc members whereby such tatablein the opposite direction of rotation from I said gauge means, and having peripheral article receiving means arranged to have passage between said disc member to successively feed articles between said disc members, an extractor disposed article is removed therefrom, and guide means having a surface cooperating with said carrier to guide standard length articles to a discharge point.

EDWIN H. BIRDSALL, 

